Don't Quit Your Day Job
by Aren Summers
Summary: Since the departure of their parents, the remaining Bartowskis had to fend for themselves. With Ellie pursuing an honest medical career and with no way to pay for it, Chuck begins to lose hope. Everything changes when con woman Sarah Walker lands in his life with a goal of her own. Can he learn the tricks of the trade while struggling with his profound new feelings for her?
1. Chapter 1

**Don't Quit Your Day Job:**

**My first story, I've been writing this for quite some time now. **

**Chapter One- The Premise**

* * *

"Bartowski?"

Chuck was dreamily leaning over the edge of the Nerd Herd desk in the Burbank BuyMore, arms folded and face buried.

"Bartowski!" a deep voice barked.

"Ah huh!" Chuck shot out of his sleepy stupor, rubbing his eyes with haste. He glanced up, eyes adjusting to the light. "Yes, ah….Hi Big Mike…." He tried to salvage an already desperate situation, glancing at his boss looming before him.

"I don't pay you the big bucks to sit around on the clock, Bartowski." Even though there was a threat, an underlying tone of compassion was detected as well. Chuck nodded carefully. "Understand?"

"Ah sorry, of course sir."

"Good kid." He grunted, carrying his clipboard. "Now where the hell is Patel? Scrawny little one always getting his ass on the line…." His voice and grumbling slowly faded, and was instead replaced with a familiar voice.

"Hey bud." Morgan Grimes, certified best friend of Chuck Bartowski was standing before him. "Heard that…Can't say I blame you. This place is snooze Ville, even on the sales floor."

"Big bucks…" Chuck scoffed, rubbing his eyes. "Eleven bucks and hour and that's considered big bucks?"

"Well, you have your side job, don't you? The one that's keeping you up in the wee hours of the morning?" he added the last bit with a hint of amusement.

"Morgan, I love kids-" he began slowly, tiredly. "But baby-sitting Mrs. Wheeler's kids when she's out of town…They're like evil little elves."

"They're not past eight, Chuck." Morgan remarked, twirling his pen. "How bad can they be?"

"They don't sleep…." Chuck sighed, leaning back. "They don't eat….well, anything besides candy. But, they're funny, I'll give them that."

"Funny doesn't get you shut-eye, though." Morgan smiled. "How's Ellie's schooling?"

"Morg…." Chuck glanced up at him. "She's in love with it. And then there's Awesome….she loves him….."

"Ouch." Morgan nodded, turning as a lady tapped him on the shoulder. "Stop the press!" he grinned, but Chuck was too busy glancing at his shoes to notice. "Is that…..Vicky Vale?"

Chuck grinned, proceeding to sing the Vicky Vale song into the telephone beside him as he rose, starting to get into it as he became oblivious to the world around him.

"Excuse me….I hope I'm not interrupting something?" A voice as soft as velvet broke the trance that he was in.

Chuck glanced up, dropping the phone as he saw the most beautiful woman he'd ever seen. "Oh my….uh…." he took a second to gulp. "No, no." His eyes took in her beautiful golden hair that framed her almost angelic face, all the way down to her business suit.

"Oh good." The girl smiled, handing her phone to him. "My phone...it shuts off randomly." She told him, as Chuck noticed the telltale signs of stress. "I need it to be in working condition again." She suddenly glanced around, seeming to be in a hurry.

"Uh sure….sure…" He glanced at the model. "An intelli-cell, huh? Usually we get Iphone customers." He smiled. "I'm Chuck, by the way." He smiled.

She glanced up at him, taking a moment to notice his cute features; he was tall, he had cute curly brown hair…..but those eyes. Those warm, chocolate eyes. She shook it off. "I didn't know people still named their kids Chuck…." She laughed. "And about the phone…I needed a change. That's why I moved here." Information poured out of her. "I'll look into that Iphone." Her eyes widened in shock. She began to school her features.

"Well…..it looks like this is going to take a few hours." Chuck apologized. "It's just a minor problem though; you can pick it up in a few hours."

Sarah bit her lip. "Okay…." She sighed, nodding. "Thank you."

"My job." Chuck replied graciously, handing her some forms to fill out. "So…."Chuck nodded, writing her information down and then transferring it to the computer in front of him. "Where are you coming from?" he began politely.

"Wisconsin." She replied, feeling a sting in her gut. That was partly true…

"So you found work here? Mrs…" he fished for a name casually.

"Ms….." she corrected. "Ms. Sarah Walker, ah….real estate." She mentally slapped herself. Again with the needless exchange of information. She needed the damn phone back. It wasn't traceable, and it was the only one she could afford to use freely. She was hoping for a quick fix.

"Well Ms. Walker." He smiled. "Must be tough to sell an area you don't know yourself."

'_Of course it is….oh god I'm so stupid' _She recovered the only way she could. "Maybe you could show me around." She felt her usual flirtatious smile appear, but something felt odd….she wasn't really controlling it this time. "At least….until my phone is fixed."

"Ah….." Chuck bumbled nervously. "I ah…" he glanced at Morgan afar, who was giving him two thumbs up and a grin. "I'd love to!" he tried not to sound too enthusiastic, but failed.

Chuck glanced at his watch. It was 4:54. The store closed around seven, it was Sunday.

"If it's not too much trouble…"Sarah added with a grin.

"No no….I can open the back door and we can grab your phone then." Chuck offered kindly.

"Thank you….Chuck." his name sounded soft on her lips.

"Oh yeah…it's no problem at all. When can I pick you up?"

* * *

"Chuck I can't believe this!" Ellie squealed happily, watching Chuck fist bump her boyfriend.

"Bro…that's awesome." Devon smiled, watching Chuck laugh.

"Yeah….I better go find something to wear….."

"Like hell I'm going to let you get away wearing whatever it is you think is cool." Ellie brushed past him into her room. "You've got to let me do all the work."

"Oh boy…." Chuck grumbled less than enthusiastically.

After almost an hour of trying on several get-up's Ellie had selected, they finally found the one. It was a light green button up with jeans. They'd tamed his hair to perfection; he was almost fit to be with Sarah Walker.

"Oh, and one more thing…." Ellie smiled, handing him a bouquet of flowers. "Now you'll sweep her off her feet."

"I hope so." Chuck murmured, stepping out the door nervously. This would be his first date in a while- he didn't want to screw anything up.

* * *

"And so you call him captain awesome?" Sarah's laugh sent Chuck's heart fluttering.

"Ha….yeah." Chuck smiled fondly. He'd found that Sarah was easy to talk to; once he'd gotten over how gorgeous she looked dressed up for a night out. "Everything he does is awesome; I mean everything. Flossing….even jumping out of planes."

Sarah had found the same exact thing about Chuck. Something about him was so…..inviting. "Your family seems great, Chuck."

"They are." He smiled. "Ellie raised me…" he didn't mention why, which left Sarah with a pit of sympathy. "And now that she's finishing med school…..I really help her finance it. It's all I can do and frankly…..the Buymore doesn't pay a king's salary." He couldn't believe he'd just admitted that to an utter stranger. "No, I'm sorry….god…..Ellie warned me not to get boring on dates." He turned red.

"No…." Sarah's heart sank at hearing his story. Here was a man who was kind, polite, and well mannered; he could've been doing anything. And yet he was stuck in a rut, and only wanted his sister's happiness. She was truly unworthy. "That's not boring at all….it's inspiring." She smiled. But what good was she? Since her father had left her, she'd been a cheat. He could never respect that.

"That's enough of me….how about you?" He asked, sipping his drink.

"Well….it looks like we're from the same boat family wise, Chuck." She bit her lip as she admitted this to him. Had her father been there…..oh, she'd get it from him. "I'm actually….alone."

"Really?" Chuck frowned. "I'm sorry to hear that. Sorry…..did I push it too far?"

"No no…." Sarah assured him with a smile. "That's all my doing. And honestly…It feels good to talk about it with someone who understands."

Chuck smiled, finding her blue eyes once again. It was strange, but this felt like the best date of his life. He couldn't place a name on it, but there was certainly some sort of connection he felt.

However, time flew by, and the evening ended rather quickly for either one's liking.

Chuck opened the door to the Buymore with his keys, leading Sarah in to the herder backroom. Behind the locked cage was her phone, amongst several other people's phones, tablets, and laptops for repair.

"Heavy security…" Sarah remarked.

Chuck smiled. "Yeah, lock and key is needed to protect our hides from robbers."

Sarah felt her stomach flip again. But she wasn't a crook. Was she? No, it was…complicated.

"Ah, and the new software is finished." Chuck smiled, holding up her phone. "Let me just check the-" he froze, cutting himself off. "Oh my god…." He breathed. "What…..what's going on…."

"What?" Sarah's heart froze. "What's going on, Chuck?"

The screen read: Wire transfer complete. Code: 0005473, followed by several text messages from an encrypted number asking about "their share" and threats to turn her in. "Oh my god…..you're…..you're a thief!" Chuck breathed, backing away. "Are you going to kill me? Do you have a gun? Oh god….please….I'll do any-"

"Chuck…." Sarah's heart was racing. She didn't intend for this to happen. Why did she feel so bad when she looked at Chuck's helpless expression. "I…..it's not what you think. I'm not like that."

"So…..what does this mean?" Chuck stammered, as she read the screen.

"Oh shit…" Sarah bit her lip. "I'm overdue."

"Overdue?" Chuck's voice rose. "Oh god…..are you a wanted criminal?"

"No…." Sarah shook her head. "I'm like you, I-"

"Like me?" Chuck shook his head. "I don't think so, I mean…I won't ….I can't…..those threats…."

"They're from a friend…..they're just jokes…" she tried to explain.

Sarah heard a thud at the door, and immediately knew what was coming. "But those aren't. Chuck, we have to run."

"What?" Chuck gasped. "No…..no…..who is it?"

"Some….ah…friends of mine." She insisted as she grabbed his arm.

"Let me guess….." Chuck gulped. "They're here to return the favor?"

* * *

**Please let me know if you think I should continue or not. I know it's a little far fetched but hey...what is FF for? **


	2. Chapter 2- Explanations

**Thanks everyone for taking the time to read and review. Actually, LongLiveChuck mentioned me in his latest update, and apparently most of you came from his word, so thank you again. I'll continue so long as you guys review, hopefully every other day if I can.**

**Chapter Two- Explanations**

"We have to run...can't we get out of here?" Sarah's voice was hushed. "Isn't there another exit?"

Chuck's mind was racing a mile a minute. This was all too much. First, the first girl he'd really liked in what felt like a century was a...he didn't really know what she was at the moment, but someone was after her. Clearly she was not good news. On top of that, he was now dragged to the depths of her problem, and he still felt sympathy and an urge to help her.

"No...we used that to get in." Chuck sighed, shaking his head nervously.

"Fine...stay put." She hissed, brandishing something black from her jacket pocket.

"Oh...oh...oh my god...Is that...that's a gun, I know, I've played duck hunt!"

"Chuck, please!" Sarah hushed him. "It's a tranq, it's non-lethal."

"Non-lethal?" Chuck's eyes widened. What kind of business was she in.

"Here they come..." Sarah heard their footsteps, shoving Chuck down behind a crate.

Their voices were soon audible. There were two men. Chuck slightly peaked his head out from behind the crate, catching glimpses of them. They looked like they were straight out of a movie. Each man was built, and armed, to Chuck's surprise. They looked like walking boulders. They looked like typical "goons" or "henchmen" only...real. Chuck blinked hard, trying desperately to wake. Reality was becoming a little much.

He eyed Sarah, who looked calm, focused. She sucked in a breath, closing her eyes as they neared. Then, like lightning, she was up. She turned and fired two shots per man, hitting them square in the chest. She held Chuck down with her arm, waiting until they were both out.

"Oh...oh god..." Chuck breathed out in relief, slumping helplessly against the stacked crate of shipments. He could feel his heart thump uncontrollably.

"Are you alright?" Sarah asked almost professionally, as she stepped over their bodies, seemingly avoiding eye contact with Chuck for the time being.

"Me?" Chuck gasped. "You! You were incredible...but..." he stopped, eyeing her. She turned and met his gaze, unsure of what to say.

"You're an assassin, aren't you?" Chuck spewed out whatever he could think of. "You're some sort of killer-"

"No." Sarah shook her head. "I didn't kill them." She reminded, cutting him off there.

"Are you...a government agent?" Chuck asked, almost unsure of whether he could trust her or not.

"Chuck..." Sarah threw her hands up, unable to take any more guesses. She felt bad. Here was the best date she'd probably ever go on in her life and she had to screw it up with her...other life. She shook her head. "I promise, I can explain everything. You need to know...I'm not a bad guy...I'm not here to hurt anyone."

Chuck took in the new information slowly, every fiber of his being telling him to trust her. Something about her...he believed in.  
"Okay, fine." Chuck smoothed his hair back, sighing. "But what do we do with these guys? I mean, we can't just leave them here. Lucky for us, I can loop the security."

Sarah raised a brow. "Why do you know how to do that?"

Chuck began nervously, "Oh...I don't partake in illegal...activities, but Jeff and Lester, my ...Well, it was a dare, and I was the responsible one, but you know...It's not so much that I'm not brave, I just-"

"Chuck..." Sarah couldn't help the ghost of a grin that found its way to her lips. "It's alright."

"I'm babbling, aren't I?"  
"Yes...but, it's alright." Sarah replied, kneeling beside one of the men. "It's cute..."

Both Chuck and Sarah couldn't believe she'd just said that. Naturally, they both tried and failed to ignore it.

"Sarah..." Chuck began, after a few minutes of silence.

"Hmm?"

"What do we do with these men? They'll wake up and come back after you...and you still owe me an explanation." Chuck reminded gently.

"I know..." Sarah sighed, glancing up. "I promise I will."

Chuck nodded, taking her word for it. "So..."

"We just give them a false trail." Sarah decided. "Send them searching somewhere far...far away."

"Who are they, anyway?"

"Private security..." Sarah replied, eyeing them. "I...uh...may have pissed off someone a while ago."

"Okay..." Chuck drawled. "I got it!"

"Let's hear it, then." Sarah glanced up.

"If you decided to suddenly leave somewhere, wouldn't you write a note?" Chuck began.

"I guess...?"

"Okay then. I can tweak the security tape so that it captures you writing a note at the repair table right there-" Chuck motioned a few feet away. "Then, carelessly store it in your pocket and let it 'accidentally' fall, on the way out."

"Chuck..."Sarah's eyes widened. "That's...brilliant."

"Include a destination...like Uraguay. Something completely unrelated." Chuck continued.

"I'll edit the tape real quickly, and we can move the bodies outside. How quickly will they be up?"

"Three hours."

Chuck nodded. "Okay, so no one will notice them, they'll be here long before shopper hours, and more importantly, before anyone comes in."

Sarah nodded, amazed at his genius thinking. "Wow...I uh...thank you."

Chuck shrugged, setting off to get the tape. "Start writing."

Chuck had fixed the tape, and Sarah had hidden the two men well. They were hoping that the men would wake and check the now fixed security tape for Sarah's whereabouts, hopefully losing interest afterwards.

* * *

Chuck drove Sarah back to her apartment, dropping her off beside the curb and getting out to accompany her to the door.  
Sarah bit her lip the entire ride, her heart and mind fluttering at the thought of Chuck. He'd really taken a leap of faith, helping her like that. She couldn't just leave him; he wasn't any old mark. He was closer, whether she liked it or not. And something told her, she liked it.

"I'll just be going then." Chuck glanced down.

Sarah sighed. He was going to let her go, scott free, after she destroyed their first date and made him seriously question her morality? Maybe her father was wrong. Maybe being a sucker wasn't about letting others in.

"Chuck..." She called, causing him to turn. "Please...come in."

"Okay..." Sarah sighed, sitting opposite from Chuck on her pair of chairs, after she'd made them each some tea. "I have some explaining to do."

Chuck nodded, listening intently. Everything about her intrigued him; from her beauty, to her wits, to her past, and her...career.

"My father was a conman." She began, almost feeling the pain of her childhood surface. "And ever since I was little, he'd always be out doing just that; he called it making a living."

She couldn't fathom why Chuck wasn't staring at her in disgust or scornfully yelling or anything of the sort. He just nodded with a sympathetic glance.  
"So, I too was fascinated with him." Sarah shook her head. "I wanted to be just like him, and follow him everywhere. Sometimes, he'd let me..." She sighed, leaning back. "When I was eight, he used me for all kinds of cons, and it continued well into my highschool year."

Chuck listened, feeling the same pain he felt from his father, only now it was radiating from Sarah. Maybe they weren't so different.

"I kept changing schools, and I never made friends. Friends are dangerous, relationships are lethal."

Chuck winced. That wasn't excellent news to hear on the first date.

"And then my dad finally left, one day." Sarah sighed. "He was arrested, and I came home, stopping before our house. There were cops everywhere..." She almost laughed sorrowfully. "I was running the other way when I was stopped."

"By who?" Chuck couldn't help it. He was fully immersed in her story.

"A man from the government." Sarah recalled like it was yesterday. "He offered me job, college, and training."

Chuck was in awe. This woman before him was a marvel.

"I went to harvard, graduated, and all the while learned government related 'enforcement' on the side." Sarah explained. "And that's when I decided that...that road wasn't for me." She shook her head. "By that time, my father was long gone from jail and the only thing on my mind was finding him, under his new employer."

Chuck listened, his heart hurting for her. "My god..." He sighed. "I'm so sorry..."

Sarah nodded, trying to wrap up her origin story. Chuck was a complete stranger and here she'd revealed her life's tragedy to him in minutes. She wasn't accustomed to this. It was too new."So I set out, and searched, and searched." Sarah sighed. "The man who recruited me...he let me walk away. He said I could always turn back to him if I changed my mind." She almost smiled for a moment. But it quickly faded. "And that's when I received the news." She closed her eyes. "My father was shot down- he was a pawn under his new employer." She shook her head.

Chuck almost gasped. This was unbelievable. Any sane person would run, be he felt drawn to her. He couldn't seem to tear himself away. "No..."

Sarah finished. "And now, he's here in Los Angeles, and I've got to expose him."

Chuck's eyes widened. "Who is he?"

Sarah shook her head. "Chuck I've dragged you so far into this, any more is just a bad idea."

Chuck leaned back. "I'm so sorry. I had no idea...I'm sorry I called you a...a thief..."

Sarah shook her head. "That's what I was, Chuck. And that's all I will be."

Chuck rose suddenly, almost shocking Sarah. "No..." he shook his head. "You've been cheated. Remember when you said we were alike?"  
Sarah didn't respond, only gazing at him in wonder.

"Well, we are. Sarah, one way or another, we were cheated. And it seems that no matter how hard we struggle, the tides are against us."

Sarah took a sip of her drink. "Things will get better for you, Chuck. You're a great guy, and I'm sure-"

"I know they will." Chuck sounded determined. "Just...let me help you."

"What?" Sarah nearly dropped her cup.

"I know this may seem crazy...But I want to help."

"Chuck, I can't-"

"Please." Chuck was firm, dedicated. Sarah couldn't believe it. A partner? The word just seemed foreign.

"Chuck...I can't guarantee that this will benefit you." Sarah sighed, shaking her head.

"But it will benefit you." Chuck nodded slowly. "You can clear your name..."

"And whatever cut I make, I can give to you, for Ellie's fund!" Sarah shot up.

Chuck grinned. "This could work, Sarah..."

Sarah shook her head. "I can't believe we're doing this...But Chuck, we can't just rush into this...This could take a long time, especially now that i have a...partner, to train." She felt her heart beat a million times faster.

Chuck took in a breath. He was finally going to do something about Ellie's fund. He was going to turn their lives around, for the better. "I know..." he glanced at the clock. It was nearing two in the morning.

"It's late..." Chuck began. "I should be getting home..."

Sarah nodded gently.

"Just one more thing, then." Chuck began once more. "Who were those men?"

"Private security, most likely from an older...mission, i had."

"Mission..." Chuck couldn't help but smile. It was like a movie.  
"And the threats?"

"Like I said..." Sarah began as she walked Chuck out. "A friend's idea of a joke..."

"Okay." Chuck nodded, donning his jacket. "Are you sure you'll be alright?"

Sarah smiled and almost blushed at his concern. " I'm fine, Chuck. Oh, I need your number!"

"It's already in the phone." He laughed, turning away.

What an evening it turned out to be.

* * *

**SATURDAY MORNING: 9:35 am- CASA BARTOWSKI**

"Oh finally, you're up!" Ellie chimed brightly as Chuck somewhat stumbled into the kitchen, rubbing his eyes.

"Woah...ah...morning sis. Awesome." He nodded to her and her boyfriend, both wearing devilish grins.

"I made your favorite breakfast." Ellie smiled, pouring the orange juice whilst she did so. "Waffles with the chocolate chips and fresh fruit."

"Oh..." Chuck smiled, taking a seat in front of the couple. "Thanks so much El..." he leaned over to sip his juice, then froze. "Wait...what's the occasion?"

Ellie grinned, leaning back. "Your date! You got home at some ungodly hour, that's a great sign!"

"Huh? My wha? Oh yeah, yeah, Sarah!" Chuck laughed nervously.

"Oh please, don't play it cool, Chuck." Ellie smiled. "How did it go...?"

Chuck sucked in a quick breath. He couldn't tell her the truth! So he wouldn't lie, per se. No, he'd be completely...honest.  
"It went...in a completely unexpected direction." Chuck declared.

Ellie's smile half faded. "What? What does that mean? God, Chuck, sometimes you can be so cryptic."

"Yeah bro...did you hook up?"

"Devon!" Ellie slapped his shoulder. "Table manners!"

Chuck chuckled, popping some waffle into his mouth. "Didn't want to rush anything, bud."

Ellie smiled. So he was a gentleman. "Did she like you? What does she do? God, I need to meet her!"

"She and I...ended up sharing a lot more than I expected." Chuck admitted with a smile. "I think it's safe to say we...ah...hit it off."

"Well, did you seal the deal?"

"I asked her out to lunch today..." Chuck began unsurely.

"Okay. Great. Good. Where?" Ellie almost fell into a frenzy.

Chuck's eyes widened. "Calm, El. I don't think she's ready to meet anyone just yet. In any case, we're to meet at Lou's for a quick sandwich, and then...I don't know...we'll see from there."

"Really?" Ellie frowned. "You're not going to treat her to something special?"

"El, the best part of being together is what we talk about...and...well...being with each other." Chuck defended

.  
Ellie gasped. "Chuck...that's beautiful...here, have some bacon. It was Devon's but...he doesn't need it!" She pushed the plate to a laughing Chuck.

"Hey!" Devon cried, sitting upright. "A man needs his bacon."

"You should know of all people how bad it is for you..." Ellie began.

"Omega 3 is GREAT for the HEART, babe." Devon defended.

Chuck smiled. "It's alright El, I have to go shower and run some errands. You have work today?"

Ellie bit her lip. "Ah...yup."

It was an odd reaction, but Chuck thought nothing of it. He had a date with destiny, and more importantly, Sarah Walker.

* * *

**Hopefully, if you guys review in time, I'll be able to update by TOMORROW. Let me know what you think in the reviews. Again, I know it's far-fetched for someone like Sarah Walker to open up like that, but I promise things will become regular if you'd like for me to continue. Thanks again and have a nice evening/day, depending on when you see this. **  
**-**


	3. Chapter 3- A New Twist

**Thanks so much for all the kind reviews and support, here's to hoping Chuck will be around forever: whether in fiction or the amazing fan base.**

* * *

Sarah heard a knock on her door. She smiled to herself, thinking of the man behind it. She put her earrings in quickly and strode to the door, taking in a breath. Since when did she care how she looked?

"Hey, Chuck." She smiled as she opened the door to her apartment, stepping aside to let a frozen Chuck in.

"My god..." He smiled, motioning up and down. "You ah...you look great, Sarah."

She couldn't help the subconscious blush that found its way to her cheeks. His words seemed to do this to her.

"Ready for lunch?" He asked, shutting the door behind him. "I hope you like a good sub."

"I hope you don't mind a girl who can eat." She laughed in response. "Sorry, let me just get my jacket..."

"No rush." Chuck smiled as he took a seat, watching her finish up.

Sarah stepped over to her closet, out of view of Chuck, who was absently on his phone, probably chatting with Morgan.

She opened the door, browsing through the available options. She needed to look good. Red? Far too bright. Black? It wasn't a funeral...Blue? She ran her hand over it when suddenly a hand flew out, yanking her wrist back.

"What the-!" Sarah hissed as she elbowed her mystery attacker in the chest, earning a grunt of pain as she flipped the somewhat light aggressor over. They were clad in all black, masked from head to toe.

The two went at it; a flurry of punches, kicks, and rolls as they slammed each other into various objects, causing them both to fall over. Sarah ended up in an unfortunate headlock, right as Chuck darted over.

"Sarah!?" He cried.

Both she and her aggressor faced him, freezing when they saw his eyes roll back slightly. He tensed and suddenly he was taking her aggressor into an expert grip, flipping them over as he clenched his teeth.

"It's me!" A female voice hissed. "Walker!"

Sarah tried to blink, scrambling to unmask the figure. She revealed an almost equally gorgeous redhead. "Carina?!"

"You know her?" Chuck immediately dropped her.

"She's not hostile." Sarah clarified.

"How did you...what?"

"Oh my god...Walker is tapping the fucking terminator." Carina smirked.

"Tapping?" Chuck was out of breath.

"Guys..." Sarah pinched the bridge of her nose, wiping a little blood off her lip. "Carina...please, give us a minute."

"Yeah, sure...lover girl." She shrugged as she slumped into a chair, crossing her legs.

"Your lip..." Chuck motioned to her, worry clouding his eyes.

"Occupational hazard." Sarah joked.

"No...let me clean you up. I guess I have some explaining to do." He admitted somewhat sheepishly.

"Looks like we all do." Sarah cleared her throat, hopping up on the counter as she pointed to her first aid kit.

So..." Chuck stepped forward, soaking a small cloth and then applying it to her forehead cut, a rather small one.

Sarah winced and Chuck immediately mirrored her. "Sorry...gamer's grip." He smiled.

"I'll be fine." Sarah laughed softly as he cleaned her up. "But you...what was that, Chuck?"

"The whole fight thing?" He gulped, unsure of how to explain. "I've never told anyone before...I can't even control it..."

"Control what? That wasn't voluntary?" Sarah kept from gasping. She'd seen some pretty wild things with her CIA time, but nothing like the apparent possession that ruled Chuck.

"No...I guess it was a little more than an adrenaline rush..."

"You don't say..." Sarah shook her head. "Chuck...if we want this to work...I need to know."

"Lunch?" He promised. "That is, if you still feel up to it."

"Of course." Sarah nodded.

"But...now that she's here...who on earth is that woman?"

"Carina is my ah...oldest friend."

"Friend?" Chuck raised a brow. "That's some reunion, then."

"We've always been...competitive, to say the least." She replied uneasily.

"So...she was your mysterious ally on the phone?" Chuck guessed rather quickly.

"The 'threatening' one?" She nodded slowly. "All her stupid jokes."

"She won't hurt you, right?"

Sarah stood. "Never. She's not like that. Believe it or not...I do trust her."

"Alright..." Chuck leaned against the counter, subconsciously pressed against Sarah, inches from her lips. Suddenly his mind caught up with him and he froze. Sarah seemed to experience a similar reaction. She leaned closer, as he caught wind of her perfume, and-

"Hey!" Carina muttered loudly, rising. "My cut?!"

"Alright!" Sarah went to her safe, as Chuck awkwardly shuffled into the room.

"So...chad, is it?" Carina wore a luscious smirk.

"Chuck..." He corrected with a friendly approach.

"Right...so you're hitting walker, then?"

"I...I'm not hitting anything."

"That's so cute...gay?"

"What?" Chuck coughed. "I...uh...no. Not that there's anything wrong with that, it's just...I...I'm not-"

"Okay, relax, kid." Carina chuckled. "I get it."

"So..."

"So how about I get my cut and you and I take her new mattress for a spin?"

"A...a sp...spin?" Chuck stuttered.

"I want what Walker wants even more." Carina smirked, tracing a hand along his chest.

"Lay off, Miller." Sarah snapped as she tossed her a thick envelope. "Now will you leave?"

"Actually...I'm sticking around boringville for a while." Carina rolled her eyes. "So you'll be seeing more of me."she turned to Chuck. "Some even more than others..."

Sarah stepped between them. "He's not interested."

Chuck looked away bashfully. This was so strange. Walker wanted him?

"Alright, don't get your panties in a wad, Sarah." She grinned. "If Chuck here won't do it for you..."

Sarah snapped something vicious sounding in apparent Russian, and then German.

Carina responded only by smirking and turning on her heel. "Later Chuckles, Walker."

"Okay...let's just get some pizza and stay here?" Chuck offered once she left. "My treat..."

"Oh, special treatment?" Sarah grinned.

"Well, my girl is broken..." Chuck froze when he realized what he'd said. "Uh...not that you're mine, but I just meant-"

"It's alright." She smiled, blushing considerably. "I thought it was cute." Her jaw nearly dropped. She was just as bad.

"I'll go...call. Vegetarian?"

"No olives?"

"I'll make it happen." He replied, stepping out to call, and escape the awkwardness.

She smiled, falling back on her bed. So she was his girl, then?

* * *

"Okay…." Chuck began, finishing his slice of pizza. "I think it's time I told you what happened…Sarah, I've never told anyone about this, not even Ellie."

"Chuck, you can trust me." Sarah reassured him, leaning back in her seat. "I guess that's going to have to come with our partnership."

"I know." He nodded. "Well….recently, I got a small package in the mail. Ellie wasn't home, so I just took it to my room like usual. It had no address, nothing on it….I don't know, I didn't think it was weird at the time."

"Okay…" Sarah nodded, trailing off. "What was in it, then?"

"A pair of completely brand new, unmarked sunglasses….except for the name 'Orion' marked on the side in silver script." Chuck replied, watching Sarah's quizzical expression take hold.

"Like….regular glasses?"

"I thought so. And I tried them on in front of the mirror….."

Sarah shook her head, incredulous. "And…..?"

"Sarah….these pictures, these strange abilities…..they all come from that night. Whatever was on…..or in those glasses…..I have in me now."

"But you're not wearing the glasses…." She trailed off. "So they must've downloaded…..Oh my god." She covered her mouth. "I've heard of this…..Orion, before!"

"What? Where?" Chuck couldn't believe she actually knew. For once he didn't feel like he was going crazy. He wasn't alone. It felt great.

"Back in my short time with…..the agency. The kept mentioning something called 'project Omaha', but I left before I received any actual Intel."

"So…..my glasses are from the government?"

"I'm playing on a hunch, Chuck…but a very strong one." Sarah replied, sharply changing the subject. "Wait!" She cried. " At the Buymore…." She began. "You hid…you didn't fight…."

"Sarah, I wasn't lying…..I don't know how to work this….." Chuck reassured her. "I can't do it instantly…."

"What if…what if we can hone this…..and use it to our advantage?" Sarah smirked.

"What? How….?"

"With time, patience…..and a lot of hard work." She nodded. "This could work…..I just can't believe something like this exists…."

"I know….and in such a nerd like me…."

"You're a pretty damn kick ass nerd, considering how you saved my ass back there." She replied, causing him to smile.

"Listen….we can't tell Ellie…" Chuck warned her.

"Chuck….why would I ever run into your- Oh….." Sarah's eyes widened. "Did you tell her we were-"

"She thinks we're soul mates or something….she just wants hope that I'm not forever doomed in the world of romance." He teased. "We can give it time….If she won't break before then, she really wants to meet you."

Sarah's heart fluttered. Someone wanted to meet her? And not for a job or a killing…for her. Maybe Chuck's good natured family wasn't going to be a burden after all.

"Okay…" She bit her lip, nodding.

"Oh….well, I'll buy you some time….As much as I can." Chuck teased.

* * *

The two went on for a while until the conversation took a turn for the very serious.

"So, this man, you're hunting….." Chuck began, watching Sarah's blue eyes steel. "Who is he, exactly?"

"His name is Daniel Shaw, and his right hand partner is Bryce Larkin-…..Chuck!" She cried as he slumped off his chair, eyes rolling back once more like they did in his episode earlier.

He fainted to the floor almost immediately afterwards.

* * *

**Ending note: I promise I do have a structured plan for the story. I know the intersect is a stupid, crazy idea, but it will all fall into place if you keep following. Sorry for the short chapter, I'll have another up relatively soon! Thanks for reading, please let me know what you're thinking in the reviews! **


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